Conveyer



Jan. 2, 1934- R. R. WORRALL CONVEYER Filed Apri; 29 1932 4 sheets-sheet 1 00000COOOOOOOAOOOOOOOOOOGOG.

Jan. 2, 1934. R. R. WORRALL CONVEYEF.

Jan. 2, 1934. R. R. WORRALI. 3,941,525

CONVEYER Filed April 29, 1932 4 sheets-sheet 5 lL/flag. 52

/N veA/ron.-

Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE Application April 29, 1932. Serial No. 603,175

13 Claims.

My invention relates to conveyers, particularly to conveyers ior handling stereotype plates which are used in newspaper printing work; and the principal object. oi this invention is tol provide a. conveyer for automatically transferring such plates from one level' to another without scraping or marring them in any manner.

The invention consists principally in the conveyer,l and in the parts and combinations and amrangmentsl of parts hereinafter described and claimed..

In. the accompanying drawings, which form part of this speciication, and wherein like reference symbols refer to like parts wherever they OCCHI?,

Fig'. I is, a diagrammatic. view of a conveyer embodying my invention,I

Eig 2 is a side. View oi' the upper portion of. the conveyer partly in section on the line 2 2' in Fig,` 4,

Fig. 3 is a side view oi the lower portion of the conveyer,

Fig'. 4 is a. plan View oi the upper portion oi the conveyer partly in section on the. line. 4-4' in Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing the reliation of the feeding conveyer to the receiving, end' of the main convey/ten Fig 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line (zT- 6T in Fig 3,

7 is a4 vertical sectional view onk the line T-T in Fig.. 4,

Fig.. 8gis a verticali sectional View'y on an enlarged scale, on. the line S--B in Fig; 5,

lig 9 is, a verti'cai sectional View on the line 9 9 in Eig. 5,.

Fig. l0' is a vertical sectional View' on the line 10j-1.0 in Fig; 5,.

Fig; II is a vertical' sectional View on the line lIL-il in Fig. 10,

Eig. I2 is a diagrammatic View' of' the delivery endv oi the feeding conveyer, showing the manner in which the stereotype. plates are shifted therefrom onto the receiving end of the main conveyen and Fig. 1'3, is. a side, Viewof a stereotype plate with parts. broken away.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown averticali conveyer ior lowering stereotype plates A from a. casting room cor B to a printing room floor C. In generaLthe conveyer7 as shown, comprises a frame. D which extends. through an opening l in the. casting. room oor B, through openingsA 2 in two intermediate floors E, and through an opening 3, in the printing room floor C. Mounted within the frame D is a roller-way F having a vertical intermediate portion which is curved forwardly at its upper end to form a substantially horizontal receiving portion of the way, and curved at its lower end in a reverse manner to form a discharging portion of the way. The frame in which the intermediate vertical portion of the roller-way is mounted comprises upright corner angles 4 arranged in the form of a rectangle and connected by horizontal angles, 5; and the frame is extended forwardly at its upper end to form a horizontal projecting portion G for accommodating the receiving portion of the roller-way, whereas. it is extended rearwardly at its lower end' to form a horizontal projecting portion I-I for accommodating the discharging portion of the. roller-way.

A pair of sprocket wheels 6 are mounted in the frame adjacent to the receiving end of the rollerway; a second pair of sprocket wheels 'l' are mounted in the frame adjacent to the discharging end of the roller-way; and a third pair of sprocket wheels 8 are mounted in the frame below the second pair of sprocket wheels '7 and slightly in front of the vertical portion of the way F.. Passing around these sprocket wheels are a pairoi. continuous, parallel sprocket chains 9 having crossbars 10' mounted betweeny them and constituting seats for the stereotypeI plates. The plates are delivered onto the receiving end of the roller-way by means of a. feeding conveyer I; and from this point they travel. around the upper curved portion of the roller-way until they reach the intermediate vertical portion. thereof; and a continuous belt l1, adapted to travel at the same speed as that of the sprocket chains, extends parallel to the roller-way on the opposite side of the sprocket chains from that of the roller-way for holding the plates on the cross-bars during their Vertical course of travel. The plates. upon reaching the lower end of the intermediate vertical portion of the roller-way, then travel around. the lower curved portion thereof andare discharged onto ay delivering conveyer J The roller-way comprises transverse rollers 1 2 mounted on angle side rails 13 which are secured to the horizontal side members at the respective sides of the frame. A pair oi angles 1.4, constituting guide-rails, extend above and parallel to the roller-way near each side thereof; and these guide-rails are secured to brackets 15 extending between the rollers and riveted to the roller-way side-rails 13. The stereotype plates are fed onto the roller-way with their straight edge portions engaging the surface portions of therollers on zal the outside of the guide-rails; and the guiderails are spaced at such distance apart that they will prevent the plates from moving laterally with respect to the roller-way. 'Ihe sprocket chains are guided during their downward course of travel by means of guides 16 which are secured to the horizontal side members at the respective sides of the frame, and these chain guides 16 extend parallel to the roller-way. Other guides 17, located in the front portion of the frame, are secured to the respective side members thereof for the sprocket chains during their upward course of travel; and the upper ends of these guides are curved in such manner that the sprocket chains will travel substantially vertically upward between the receiving end of the roller-way and the delivery end of the feeding conveyer. l

The cross-bars 10 mounted between the sprocket chains are arranged in pairs at regular intervals along the chains, and each pair is secured to the respective ends of oppositely disposed chain links 18; and mounted on each pair of these cross-bars, midway between the sprocket chains,

is a longitudinally disposed arm 19 having a portion thereof extending beyond the rear orosbar of the pair, and the end of this extended portion of the arm is shaped in the form of a hook 26. These hook arms, in traveling around the receiving end of the roller-way, are adapted to pull a stereotype plate from the feeding conveyer I onto the roller-way, and in traveling around the discharging end of the roller-way, they are adapted to shift a stereotype plate therefrom onto the delivering conveyer J.

The pair of sprocket wheels 6 located adjacent to the receiving end of the roller-way are fixed on horizontal stub shafts 21 which are mounted in bearings provided on horizontal angles 22 secured to the respective sides of the frame. The pair of sprocket wheels '7 located adjacent to the discharging end of the roller-way are fixed on a horizontal cross shaft 23 which is also mounted in bearings provided on horizontal angles 24 secured to the respective sides of the frame; and the third pair of sprocket wheels 8 are fixed on a horizontal cross shaft 25 which is mounted in bearings which are slidably mounted in plates 26 secured to the respective sides of the frame for adjusting the tension in the sprocket chains. The continuous belt 11, for holding the plates on their supporting cross-bars during their vertical course of travel, passes around two pulley wheels 27 which are fixed on horizontal cross shafts 28 and 28a which are mounted in bearings provided at the respective sides of the frame. The lower pulley wheel cross shaft 28 is located adjacent to the lower end of the vertical intermediate portion of the roller-way, whereas the upper cross shaft 28a is located in the top corner portion of the frame; this upper shaft 28a is, preferably, adjustably mounted in the frame for tensioning the belt.

A motor 29 for driving the entire conveying apparatus is mounted on a horizontal supporting bracket 30 secured to the outside of the conveyer frame adjacent to the printing room floor C. This motor 29 drives a belt 31 which passes around a pulley wheel 32 fixed on the end of a horizontal cross-shaft 33 located above the rollerway and mounted in bearings provided on upright side members 34 secured to the frame. A second horizontal cross-shaft 35, extending parallel to the pulley shaft 33 and located below the roller-way, is also mounted in bearings provided on the side members 34; and xed on the lower shaft 35 near its end is a gear 36 which meshes with a gear 37 fixed on the pulley shaft 33 near its end opposite the pulley wheel 32. Also fixed on the lower shaft 35 is a pinion gear 38 which meshes with a gear 39 fixed on the shaft carrying the sprocket wheels 7 at the discharging end of the roller-Way for driving the cross-bar sprocket chains. The shaft 35 also serves to drive the continuous plate guiding belt 11. Fixed on the end of the lower cross shaft 35 is a sprocket wheel 40 which drives a sprocket chain 41 passing around a larger sprocket wheel 42 which is fixed on the end of the continuous belt pulley shaft 28.

The feeding conveyer I is of the gravity type and comprises side rails 43 supporting transverse rollers 44 and stereotype plate guide-rails 45 similar to those along the roller-way of the main conveyer. The rollers adjacent to the delivery end of the feeding conveyer do not extend the full width thereof, but comprise short, roller end portions 46 supported on axles 47 which are mounted in the side rails 43. A sleeve 48 is rotatably mounted on one of these axles, and this sleeve has an integral arm 49 extending toward the receiving end of the main conveyer with its end in position to be engaged by the extended end of the hook arms 19 as they travel around the receiving end of the main conveyer. The sleeve 48 also has a pair of arms 48a extending away from the delivery end of the feeding conveyer, and these arms 48a support a shaft 50 on their ends which carry short end rollers 5l similar to the other end ones of the feeding conveyer; and the sleeve and the parts connected thereto are balanced so that the end rollers 5l will be held normally above the carrying surface of the rest of the rollers of the feeding conveyer for blocking a stereotype plate before it reaches the receiving end of the main conveyer. (See Fig. 12.)

A buffer is provided at the delivery end of each of the side rails of the feeding conveyer for stopping a stereotype plate in position to be shifted onto the feeding portion of the roller-way of the conveyer. Each buffer comprises a small vertical channel 52 which is secured to the end of the side rail. A buffer plate 53 having its upper end portion extending slightly above the carrying surface of the rollers of the feeding conveyer, is mounted on a bolt 54 extending through the web of the channel and through a hole 55 in the buffer plate. The channel is also provided with another bolt 56 protruding from the web thereof below the other bolt 54, and the bolt 56 extends through another hole 57 in the buffer plate; and a coil spring 58 is mounted around the bolt 56 between the buffer plate and retaining nuts 59 fixed on the outer end of the bolt. Located a slight distance rearwardly from and hinged to the top of the plate 61 is a curve-:l

plate 62 which extends toward the delivery end of the feeding conveyer for supporting the rear end of a stereotype plate as it leaves the feeding conveyer when it is pulled onto the main conveyer; and the rear end of this plate 62 is pro- 111i vided with a rod 63 having a spring 64 attached thereto which is attached to a bolt 65 projecting upwardly from the transverse angle 60 for holding the curved guiding plate 62 in proper guiding position, but allowing it to yield.

lor-

falaises.

The stereotype plates are delivered onto the feeding endl ofrthe gravity feeding conveyer' means of" av drag chai-'n conveyer comprising guidearails 661 located on the inside off drag chainsr (5f-F which are mounted around a pair of'` sprocket Wheels 68 at the ends off the conveyer. The sprocket wheels 68TA at the delivery end of theI drag chain conveyer are xedl onY a shaft 691having a third' sprocket wheel '701 thereonwhich is driven,A by an endless sprocket chain 715 which passes around: anothersprocket wheel '72 whichA is xed on the end of one or the sprocketl wheel stubshafts 21' at thereceiving endl of the main conc veyer. The deliveryV conveyery J is of similar construction tov that of the drag chain conveyer' K', and@ it is driven by a sprocket chain 'Z3l pass-- ingl around a sprocket Wheel 74 xed onf its res ceivi'ngend sprocket wheel' shaft 75;. andl asprocket wheel 'T6A lxed on theend off the sprocket wheel cross-shaft 23l at the discharge end of'the' main conveyer.

In the operation of` my conveying apparatus, thestereotype plates are-placed onthey drag chain conveyer' K which delivers them onto the feeding conveyer 1T. Theiplafes then rolll down thefeeding conveyer' until the forward edges of the leading plate engages the short blocking rollers 51 to stopv the plates. The plates reina-in inthis blocked position until the extended` end portion of a hoolt arm l-9 travellingaround the adjacent end ot the main conveyer engagesV the arm1 49 extending from the rocker sleeve iS-Which' moves the block ingfrollers 5l downwardly. This releases thefleading plate and it rolls along until its forward edges engage the buier plates153i. By this time', the hook arm, which has released the plate, has swung-f far enough around soVr that its extended end engages in oneof the groovesl in the underside of the plate and as the arm continues to swing around thelend ofthe roller-way, it lifts the forward1 endy of the plate-upwardly and then pulls it over the tops' of" thel buiierl plates and onto the main conveyer; The other plates: following the leading one; a-resuccessively pulled onto the main conveyer in thesame-manner by each successive hook arm. After' theA plates are pulled ontoy the receiving end` of the main conveyer, they move around the upper curved portion thereof, and as eachl one nears the vertical portion thereof it seats itself' on thev rea-r cross-bar' 1'0' supporting theA hook arm which hasl pulled it` onto the mai-n conveyer; and thev continuous belt ll holds the plates on their supporting cross-bars until? they reach the lowerl end ofthe vertical portion of the main conveyer. From this point, the plates move aroundthe lower curved portion of' the Ina-in conveyer until they reach the discharging end thereof. At this point, thel eXtend'edf end of eachhook arm moves upwardly to engage ini a groove in the plate above it and then the arm in swinging further around shoves. the plate onto the delivering conveyer J.

WhileA I- have described my conveyer, as being adapted to lower stereotype plates, it is obvious that my invention may be used for handling other types of articles. Moreover, the operation of the conveyer may be reversed so as to transfer articles from a lower level to a higher one; and as numerous changes may be made in the construction illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to be limited io the precise constructions, and arrangements of parts, shown and described.

What I claim is:

l. A conveyer comprising a rollerway having a convex upper portion, a. concavev lower port-ioni and? a substantiallyr upright intermediate portion, means: for' moving" articles along: said"l rollerway,

anda lf'selt"` movable.`A at.y substarn'ialily the same speed as saldi means and? located opposite the up right portion orA said? rollerway ini positionto hold; such articles: on the rollerway.

A conveyer of semicylindricall stereotyper plates: comprising a rollerway for such( platesY having a convexZ upper portion, a concave= lower por. ion andv a substantiallyv upright intermediate portion, guides, above;A and extending lengthwise of? said rollerway in: position to. bestraddl'ed': byf plates onl the rollerway, means` fior moving such-h plates along said rollerway, and a belt movable at substantialiy the same speed as said means and locatedl opposite the upright portion or said'z rollerway iinE position. to hold such. plates on the roller-way'.

3i. A conveyer for lowering semieylindrical' stereotype plates` comprising a, rollerway for such plates having a convexupper portion', a. concave lower portion and a substantially upright intermedi'ae portion, guidesabove and extendingA lengthwise of said rollerway inl position; tol be straddled by." plates onV the rollerway, endless chains at the'sides of," said rollerway having cross pieces spaced from: said rollerway and constituting seats for said plates, a. belt movable: at suby stanti'allyf the same speed as: said crosspieces and located opposite the upright portion of said roller'- way in position to hold such plateson the rollerway; means: for delivering such plates tol said upper'portion andlfmeansi for receiving such: plates from saidl lower portiony of said rollerway.

45.v A, conveyer for stereotype plates: and the,` like comprising an` upright frame work',l sprocket cha-ins traveling therein, cross-bars between.. said sprocket chains and? constituting` seats` forY said plates, a roller-wayin said-.iframeA workextending parallel to' said. sprocket chainsnanA one side thereof forY engaging the straight side edge portions of said plates to: guide thel same, guidev members extending longitudinally of said roller-way and lo.- cated insidethe end portionsthereot forpreventing excessive lateralv movement of said: plates with respect to= said roller-way, and a belt travel'ing in said frame work and, extendingY parallel to said rolfler-way onthe othery side of said sprocket chainsz for holding said plates on their supporting cross-bars between the roller-wayr and. the' belt.

51 A conveyer comprising a way, flexible mem;- bers' on said conveyer for traveling around said way, a feedingstation at the endl of'said way', a transverse member mountedy between* said exixble members and xed thereto, and a memberex'.- tending longitudinally of said exible, members andi mounted on said transverse membery for shifting any arti-cle from: the eeding'station onto said way'.

6; conveyor comprisingL a way, exible members on said conveyer for traveling around said way, a feeding station at the end of said way, a pair of spaced transverse members mounted between said flexible members, and an arm mounted thereon and having an extended end portion for shifting an article from the feeding station onto said way.

7. A conveyer comprising a way, two pairs of wheels mounted on said conveyer adjacent to the ends of said way, respectively, a pair of continuous parallel flexible members mounted around said Wheels, guides mounted on said conveyer eX- tending substantially parallel to said way for said iiexible members during their course of travel in one direction, a feeding conveyer communicating with one end of said way, a receiving conveyer communicating with the other end of said way, a pair of spaced transverse members mounted between said flexible members at intervals, and an arm mounted on each pair of said transverse members and having an extended end portion for shifting an article from said feeding conveyer onto said way and for shifting the article from the way onto the receiving conveyer.

8. A conveyer comprising a way, two pairs of sprocket wheels mounted on said conveyer adjacent to the ends of said way, respectively, a pair of continuous parallel sprocket chains mounted around said sprocket wheels, guides mounted on said conveyer extending substantially parallel to said way for said sprocket chains during their course of travel in one direction, other guides mounted on said conveyer in front of said Way for said sprocket chains during their return course of travel, a feeding conveyer communicating with one end of said way, a receiving conveyer communicating with the other end of said way, a pair of spaced cross-bars mounted between said sprocket chains at intervals, and an mounted on each pair of said cross-bars and having a rearwardly extending hooked end portion'for pulling an article off the end of the feeding conveyer onto said way and for shifting an article off the other end of said way onto the receiving conveyer.

9. A conveyer comprising a Way having a substantially vertically disposed intermediate portion and curved end portions constituting feeding and discharging portions of said way, a pair of continuous parallel sprocket chains mounted around said way, guides mounted on said conveyer extending substantially parallel to said way above the curved end portions thereof and in the rear of the intermediate vertical portion of said way for said sprocket chains during their downward course of travel, other guides mounted on said conveyer for said sprocket chains during their upward course of travel, a continuous belt mounted on said conveyor with its one reach extending parallel to the intermediate vertical portion of said way along the rear of said sprocket chains, a feeding conveyer communicating with the feeding end of said way, a receiving conveyer communicating with the discharging end of said way, and means mounted between said sprocket chains for supporting an arm having an extended hooked end portion for pulling an article on the end of the feeding conveyer onto the way and for shifting the article off the way onto the receiving conveyer.

10. A conveyer comprising a way having a substantially vertically disposed intermediate portion and curved end portions constituting feeding and discharging portions of said way, two pairs of sprocket wheels mounted on said conveyer adjacent to the upper and lower ends of said way, respectively, a third pair of sprocket wheels mounted on said conveyer in front of said way, a pair of continuous parallel sprocket chains mounted around the three sets of said sprocket wheels, guides mounted on said conveyer extending substantially parallel to said way above the curved end portions thereof and in the rear of the intermediate vertical portion of said way for said sprocket chains during their downward course of travel, other guides mounted on said conveyer in front of said way for said sprocket chains during their upward course of travel, a feeding conveyer communicating with the feeding end of said way, a receiving conveyer communicating with the discharging end of said way, a pair of spaced cross-bars mounted between said sprocket chains at intervals, and an arm mounted on each pair of said cross-bars and having a rearwardly extending hooked end portion for pulling an article on the end of the feeding conveyer onto the way and for shifting the article off the way onto the receiving conveyer.

l1. A conveyer comprising a way, flexible members on said conveyer for traveling around said way, a feeding conveyer communicating with the end of said way, means for blocking an article on said feeding conveyer before reaching said way, and rigid means mounted on said flexible members for releasing said blocking means and for lifting and pulling an article released thereby onto said way, said means being normally substantially iiush with said flexible members and extending rearwardly from its point of attachment thereto with an cutturned hook at the end thereof, whereby flexing of said members at the end of the way causes said hook to lift the end of a blocked article and to pull it onto said way.

12. A conveyer comprising a way, exible members on said conveyer for traveling around said way, a feeding conveyer communicating with the end of said way, means for blocking an article on said feeding conveyer before reaching said way, a pair of transverse members mounted between said flexible members, an arm mounted on said transverse members and having an extended end portion for releasing said blocking means and for shifting an article from said feeding conveyer onto said way.

13. A conveyer comprising a way, two pairs of wheels mounted on said conveyer adjacent to the ends of said way, respectively, a pair of continuous parallel flexible members mounted around said wheels, a feeding conveyer communicating with one end of said way, a receiving conveyer communicating with the other end thereof, a pair of spaced transverse members mounted between said flexible members at intervals, and an arm mounted on each pair of said transverse members and having an extended end portion for shiftincr an article from said feeding conveyer onto said way and for shifting an article from said way onto said receiving conveyer.

ROY R. WORRALL. 

